TAMPA, Fla. – The Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office announced changes to the system after finding scammers were selling driver’s license appointment slots.

The office said they launched an investigation after it received several complaints about appointment availability and tips that third parties were selling appointments for $40. They found a pattern of daily appointments being reserved under identical names and email addresses.

The tax collector says it also found many of these “sold” appointments taking place in the Hispanic community.

The Tax Collectors office in Hillsborough County is trying to combat scammers.

“To our surprise, this was something that is very disturbing to see that, especially in the Hispanic community, that there’s folks out there who are scamming and taking advantage of someone who is in dire need of getting a driver’s license,” said Hillsborough County Tax Collector Nancy Millan.

It is believed that third parties are monitoring the scheduling software and immediately snapping up available appointments, possibly through the use of AI and bots, preventing residents from accessing available appointment slots.

Appointments are being filled by scammers.

“This fraudulent behavior by individuals who are exploiting residents and denying them access to essential services is unacceptable. Unfortunately, appointment selling has become a growing trend across the nation, and in Hillsborough County, we are committed to putting an end to this interference and restoring fair and equitable access to services for all residents,” said Millan.

To combat this fraud, the Tax Collector has implemented several changes to improve the integrity of appointment booking:

• The new system only allows one appointment booking per person. The limitation aims to prevent the mass booking of appointments by unauthorized entities.
• Enhanced Verification Process: During the booking process, customers are required to enter their Driver License number, a parent’s Driver License number for minors, or an alien registration number.
• Residency Requirements: Appointments are exclusively reserved for Hillsborough County residents and customers are required to confirm this acknowledgment before booking.
• In-Person Confirmation: In accordance with these changes, staff at the Tax Collector’s branch offices check residency and ensure the names and ID numbers provided at the time of appointment booking match upon arrival to the office. If they do not match, the appointment will not be honored.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is also investigating.

See story from Fox13 here.